The value of learned societies in the biological sciences: benefits, threats, and futures
Learned societies play a vital role in fostering interactions that are important in scholarly discourse and the advancement of biological sciences. However, they now face threats from declining funding and membership, shifting disciplinary boundaries, changing approaches towards digital communication, and academic marketization. We outline the historical development of these societies and propose ways to sustain them. Key considerations include improving meetings, adapting publishing models, ensuring financial stability, expanding membership, strengthening outreach, and managing increasingly broad remits. Our main aim is to examine how regional learned societies can maintain their roles to support scientific progress and enrich broader society.
Authors
- Joel B. Dacks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4520-5694)
- Virginia P. Edgcomb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6805-381X)
- R. Ellen R. Nisbet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4487-196X)
- David J. S. Montagnes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8826-9837)
- Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Rachel Foster
- John R. Dolan
Institutions
- Natural History Museum (GB)
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of Kent (GB)
- Sutton Hospital (GB)
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (ES)
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (FR)
- Institute of Parasitology (CZ)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre (CZ)
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Biology
- Published
- 2026-03-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-026-02583-x
- Primary Topic
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00